Yinz Are Good

Yinz Are Good shares the *good* news going on out there and celebrates the good people who are making it happen: The people who are lifting others up, who are taking care of their neighbors, the people who are saying, “What can I do today to make our world a better place?”.

Girls Inc. of Greater Pittsburgh is the phenomenal nonprofit that helps girls gain the knowledge and skills to effect positive change in their lives. They are building the new generation of strong, smart, and bold leaders through direct service and advocacy. Tressa had the joy of sitting down with their inspiring CEO, Marissa Escajeda.

Girls Inc. of Greater Pittsburgh: https://girlsincpgh.org/

IG: @girlsincpgh

Facebook: Girls Inc of Greater Pittsburgh

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⁠https://www.yinzaregood.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠

FOLLOW US on social media!

Instagram:⁠⁠ ⁠@yinzaregood⁠⁠⁠ Facebook:⁠⁠ ⁠@YinzAreGood⁠⁠⁠

Have a story of generosity or kindness to share with us? Want a Kindness Crate dropped off at your business or school? Email us at ⁠[email protected].

Yinz Are Good shares the *good* news going on out there and celebrates the good people who are making it happen: The people who are lifting others up, who are taking care of their neighbors, the people who are saying, “What can I do today to make our world a better place?”.

This is a fun episode, yinzers! Don makes his triumphant return - it's been a minute, right? But instead of doing the Name That Neighborhood or In Case Yinz Missed It segments, he and Tressa tell us all about a recent opportunity they had to help Pittsburgh community members in need. And they share how you can do the same, no matter where in the world you live.

Also, Tressa chats with Tiff Setzler, Founder of Birthday Toy Drive, about their 2nd annual Keep Warm event, and other drives and events they host throughout the year, benefitting The Children’s Home of Pittsburgh.

Thanks again to Dick’s Sporting Goods for supporting today’s episode. Whether you’re shopping in store or online — Dick’s has everything you need to keep your family active and having fun all season long.

Birthday Toy Drive: https://birthdaytoydrive.fun/

Children’s Home of Pittsburgh: https://www.childrenshomepgh.org/

Freedge: https://freedge.org/---

⁠https://www.yinzaregood.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠

FOLLOW US on social media!

Instagram:⁠⁠ ⁠@yinzaregood⁠⁠⁠ Facebook:⁠⁠ ⁠@YinzAreGood⁠⁠⁠

Have a story of generosity or kindness to share with us? Want a Kindness Crate dropped off at your business or school? Email us at ⁠[email protected].

It's our annual late-night-talk-show-meets-TV-Christmas-special! We're bringing you good news, community connection and a whole lot of holiday spirit...

Recorded at the Greer Cabaret Theatre Lounge in Pittsburgh's Cultural District on Monday, December 8th, 2025.

• Our featured guests who are affecting positive change in our communities:
  *Kendra Whitlock Ingram - President, The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust
  *Tabitha Bowser - Executive Director,  Run With Heart Foundation
  *Lateresa Blackwell - Women's Shelter Manager, Light of Life Rescue Mission
  *Bonnie DeMotte - Executive Director, Second Harvest
  *Tim Smith - CEO, Center of Life
  *Mike and Denise Munson - Founders, Emma Munson Foundation

Special thanks to our generous sponsors: DICK'S Sporting Goods, KeyBank, Flour Power, The Baker Family, The Lawrenceville Corporation, and Punch Pgh.

This episode is brought to you by Dick’s Sporting Goods — your one-stop shop for holiday gifts that get everyone moving. From cozy winter gear to fan favorites for every Pittsburgh family — every holiday season starts at Dick’s.

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⁠https://www.yinzaregood.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠

FOLLOW US on social media!

Instagram:⁠⁠ ⁠@yinzaregood⁠⁠⁠ Facebook:⁠⁠ ⁠@YinzAreGood⁠⁠⁠

Have a story of generosity or kindness to share with us? Want a Kindness Crate dropped off at your business or school? Email us at ⁠[email protected].

Yinz Are Good shares the *good* news going on out there and celebrates the good people who are making it happen: The people who are lifting others up, who are taking care of their neighbors, the people who are saying, “What can I do today to make our world a better place?”.

Boy did we have fun with this episode…

We (Tressa, Don, and videographer Michela Hall), got together with our friends and show sponsor, DICK’S Sporting Goods, to set up a recording session at DICK'S House of Sport Pittsburgh. While set up on the main floor of the store/community hub, Tressa chats with Pittsburgh Hardball Academy's Nelson Cooper IV about what’s new with the org and their strong partnership with the DICK’S Foundation. As a reminder, Nelson and Pittsburgh Hardball Academy were featured in Episode 93and again in Episode 124. Nelson is the Co-founder and Executive Director of this youth advocacy organization that enriches the lives of underrepresented youth in the Greater Pittsburgh area via baseball and softball.

And then! Tressa is joined by the delightful Kennedy Ward from DICK’S House of Sport - they talk about building community, about what makes House of Sport more than just a retail store, and about the support that the DICK’S Foundation provides to those dedicated to helping others thrive. 

Pittsburgh Hardball Academy: https://www.pittsburghhardball.org/

IG: @pgh_hardball

Facebook: @Pittsburgh Hardball Academy

DICK’S Sporting Goods Foundation 

DICK’S House of Sport

This episode is brought to you by DICK'S Sporting Goods — your one-stop shop for holiday gifts that get everyone moving. From cozy winter gear to fan favorites for every Pittsburgh family — every holiday season starts at Dick’s.

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⁠https://www.yinzaregood.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠

FOLLOW US on social media!

Instagram:⁠⁠ ⁠@yinzaregood⁠⁠⁠ Facebook:⁠⁠ ⁠@YinzAreGood⁠⁠⁠

Have a story of generosity or kindness to share with us? Want a Kindness Crate dropped off at your business or school? Email us at ⁠[email protected].

Yinz Are Good is an award-winning podcast that shares the good news going on out there and celebrates the good people who are making it happen: The people who are lifting others up, who are taking care of their neighbors, the people who are saying, “What can I do today to make our world a better place?”.

In this episode, Tressa sits down with the remarkable Evan Frazier, President & CEO of The Advanced Leadership Institute (TALI). Talk about building community…the folks at TALI are doing that and then some.  TALI’s mission, in part, is to support, develop, and retain Black leaders and their allies. Their vision is to create more inclusive and prosperous professional communities through a distinct leadership development model that educates, develops, connects and positions Black leaders and their allies for advancement. This conversation is about support, community, opportunity, and it’s about recognizing a problem within a community and working to solve it. 

Yinz Are Good’s LIVE Christmas Special Monday, Dec. 8, 2025

The Lounge at the Greer Cabaret Theater | 655 Penn Ave. 15222Show starts: 7:30pmDoors open: 6:45pm

TICKETS HERE 

The Advanced Leadership Institute: https://taliinstitute.org/

Facebook: @The Advanced Leadership Institute

LinkedIn: The Advanced Leadership Institute

This episode is brought to you by Dick’s Sporting Goods — your one-stop shop for holiday gifts that get everyone moving. From cozy winter gear to fan favorites for every Pittsburgh family — every holiday season starts at Dick’s.

—

⁠https://www.yinzaregood.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠

FOLLOW US on social media!

Instagram:⁠⁠ ⁠@yinzaregood⁠⁠⁠ Facebook:⁠⁠ ⁠@YinzAreGood⁠⁠⁠

Have a story of generosity or kindness to share with us? Want a Kindness Crate dropped off at your business or school? Email us at ⁠[email protected].

Yinz Are Good shares the *good* news going on out there and celebrates the good people who are making it happen: The people who are lifting others up, who are taking care of their neighbors, the people who are saying, “What can I do today to make our world a better place?”

We’ve got a lovely conversation coming up for you: you’re gonna hear all about a small but mighty organization that is providing financial assistance to families and their beloved dogs (and yinz know we love dogs here at Yinz Are Good!).⁠ The Izzie Fund⁠ is keeping families in need together and it’s a beautiful thing. Tressa has the joy of sitting down with Founder & President, Victoria Chester Rose, to learn all about The Izzie Fund (and their namesake, Izzie). Victoria is delightful and inspiring, and is deeply dedicated to doing all she can to help those in need - which includes bringing the community together to lend a hand.

Yinz Are Good’s LIVE Christmas Special Monday, Dec. 8, 2025

The Lounge at the Greer Cabaret Theater | 655 Penn Ave. 15222Show starts: 7:30pmDoors open: 6:45pm

⁠TICKETS HERE⁠ 

The Izzie Fund: ⁠https://theizziefund.org/⁠

Instagram: ⁠@theizziefund⁠

Facebook: ⁠The Izzie Fund⁠

This episode is brought to you by Dick’s Sporting Goods — your one-stop shop for holiday gifts that get everyone moving. From cozy winter gear to fan favorites for every Pittsburgh family — every holiday season starts at Dick’s.

—

⁠⁠https://www.yinzaregood.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

FOLLOW US on social media!

Instagram:⁠⁠⁠ ⁠@yinzaregood⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook:⁠⁠⁠ ⁠@YinzAreGood⁠⁠⁠⁠

Have a story of generosity or kindness to share with us? Want a Kindness Crate dropped off at your business or school? Email us at ⁠[email protected].

Yinz Are Good shares the *good* news going on out there and celebrates the good people who are making it happen: The people who are lifting others up, who are taking care of their neighbors, the people who are saying, “What can I do today to make our world a better place?”

Get ready for one inspiring story of perseverance, hope and love. Tressa sits down with the remarkable Chef Missy (Missy Terrell): Chef Instructor at Community Kitchen, mother of three, recipient of the 2023 Gloria Pepin Memorial Grant from the Jaques Pepin Foundation, and current Harvard University student. Chef Missy shares her journey through very difficult times and incredible challenges and how she moved herself - and her family - forward. And how all she has accomplished in the past several years has been for her son, Anthony (“Tug”). She is changing lives and she is inspiring countless folks.

Yinz Are Good’s LIVE Christmas Special Monday, Dec. 8, 2025

The Lounge at the Greer Cabaret Theater | 655 Penn Ave. Show starts: 7:30pm | Doors open: 6:45pm

TICKETS HERE 

Chef Missy (Melissa Terrell) on Instagram: @_missyshe_

Community Kitchen: https://www.ckpgh.org/

Tug Butter on Facebook

[email protected]

(412) 709-5044

This episode is brought to you by DICK'S Sporting Goods — your one-stop shop for holiday gifts that get everyone moving. From cozy winter gear to fan favorites for every Pittsburgh family — every holiday season starts at Dick’s.

—

⁠https://www.yinzaregood.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠

FOLLOW US on social media!

Instagram:⁠⁠ ⁠@yinzaregood⁠⁠⁠ Facebook:⁠⁠ ⁠@YinzAreGood⁠⁠⁠

Have a story of generosity or kindness to share with us? Want a Kindness Crate dropped off at your business or school? Email us at ⁠[email protected].

Yinz Are Good shares the *good* news going on out there and celebrates the good people who are making it happen: The people who are lifting others up, who are taking care of their neighbors, the people who are saying, “What can I do today to make our world a better place?”

In this episode, you'll hear from a few different folks from a few different places…all of whom are dedicated to building community and supporting community members of all ages. 

First, Tressa sits down with an awesome mother/daughter duo, Alice and Violet Gabriel, who volunteer together at their community garden,  the Garden of Etna. Part of the mission of this Garden is to grow produce for the Bread of Life Food Pantry.

Then, Tressa heads to McKees Rocks for an exciting and inspiring announcement from The Josh Gibson Foundation, The DICK’S Sporting Goods Foundation, and Under Armour, and chats with folks from there. 

Also mentioned in the episode are 3 local businesses who are helping to get food to families who desperately need it: Richard Bazzy and the team at Schults Ford, The Corcoran Collective, and Secretos Pittsburgh. 

Yinz Are Good’s LIVE Christmas Special

(Think “late-night-talk-show-meets-TV-Christmas-special”)

Monday, Dec. 8, 2025

The Lounge at the Greer Cabaret Theater | 655 Penn Ave.

Show starts: 7:30pm | Doors open: 6:45pm

TICKETS at www.eventbrite.com: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1894118903629?aff=oddtdtcreator

*Garden of Etna on FB

*Bread of Life Food Pantry: https://www.breadoflifeetna.org/

*For more information on The Josh Gibson Foundation and to contribute to the Josh Gibson Club & Sports Matter Center, please visit https://joshgibson.org

*For more information about The DICK'S Sporting Goods Foundation and its mission to inspire and enable youth sports participation across the country, visit www.sportsmatter.org

*Under Armour

This episode is brought to you by Dick’s Sporting Goods — your one-stop shop for holiday gifts that get everyone moving. From cozy winter gear to fan favorites for every Pittsburgh family — every holiday season starts at Dick’s.

—

⁠https://www.yinzaregood.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠

FOLLOW US on social media!

Instagram:⁠⁠ ⁠@yinzaregood⁠⁠⁠ Facebook:⁠⁠ ⁠@YinzAreGood⁠⁠⁠

Have a story of generosity or kindness to share with us? Want a Kindness Crate dropped off at your business or school? Email us at ⁠[email protected].

Yinz Are Good shares the *good* news going on out there and celebrates the good people who are making it happen: The people who are lifting others up, who are taking care of their neighbors, the people who are saying, “What can I do today to make the world a better place?”

We recently received an email saying, in part, “I’m reaching out to introduce you to two Pittsburghers who I think are a perfect fit for Yinz Are Good: Carla Arnold, who is 67 years old, and Tricia Patsilevas, who is 38 years old. Carla and Tricia are North Side neighbors who first met while volunteering in their community garden and have since built a friendship full of laughter, generosity, and adventure…They’re one of the Pittsburgh-based pairs featured in Picture This, a new Age-Friendly Greater Pittsburgh campaign, celebrating the power of aging in community.” Well, yinzers, this is right up our alley... 

So Tressa made her way to the North Side to chat with Carla and Tricia to learn more about their intergenerational friendship and how they’re building community. Then Tressa headed to Squirrel Hill for a delightful chat with Laura Poskin, the Executive Director of Age-Friendly Greater Pittsburgh. 

Age-Friendly Greater Pittsburgh - https://www.agefriendlypgh.org/ Phone: (412) 365-1449
Carla Arnold & Tricia Patsilevas' Story Profile: http://bit.ly/3WCwTWl

This episode is brought to you by Dick’s Sporting Goods — your one-stop shop to get everyone moving. From cozy winter gear to fan favorites for all Pittsburgh families — every season starts at Dick’s.

—

⁠https://www.yinzaregood.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠

FOLLOW US on social media!

Instagram:⁠⁠ ⁠@yinzaregood⁠⁠⁠ Facebook:⁠⁠ ⁠@YinzAreGood⁠⁠⁠

Have a story of generosity or kindness to share with us? Want a Kindness Crate dropped off at your business or school? Email us at ⁠[email protected].

Yinz Are Good shares the *good* news going on out there and celebrates the good people who are making it happen: The people who are lifting others up, who are taking care of their neighbors, the people who are saying, “What can I do today to make the world a better place?”

This episode epitomizes the mission of this show: you are going to hear from people who are taking care of others in the truest form, people - of all ages - who are letting others know that they matter and who are donating their time to provide life-changing care. These folks were all attending the same event this past weekend: Mission of Mercy Pittsburgh. MOMPgh is the annual, FREE, two-day dental, vision and hearing clinic that serves patients in need. 

Coming up is a collection of interviews with physicians, volunteers, and even a young attendee who was there with his family. You’ll hear from one of the top eye surgeons in the country and you’ll hear from folks from one of the top medical schools in the country; all talking not only about this event but WHY they do what they do. 

Featured guests include: Dr. Evan “Jake” Waxman, Dr. Susan Calderbank, Carter Bedinghaus, Keith Young, Catherine Palmer, Larry Albensi, Caden, and Naz.

Mission of Mercy Pittsburgh - https://mompgh.org/

Maverick Dental Laboratories, Inc. - https://maverickdental.com/

UPMC Center for Audiology & Hearing Aids - https://www.upmc.com/services/ear-nose-throat/services/hearing-and-balance/audiology

LECOM - https://lecom.edu/

UPMC Vision Institute - https://www.upmc.com/services/eye

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⁠https://www.yinzaregood.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠

FOLLOW US on social media!

Instagram:⁠⁠ ⁠@yinzaregood⁠⁠⁠ Facebook:⁠⁠ ⁠@YinzAreGood⁠⁠⁠

Have a story of generosity or kindness to share with us? Want a Kindness Crate dropped off at your business or school? Email us at ⁠[email protected].